How it all started....In 1996 good friends in Prescott told us about a new - to them - concept of travel that involved exchanging homes with strangers worldwide and I must say I had some trepidations but none-the-less we enrolled in a catelogue club and soon after, we were communicating with Miriam in Church Stretton, Shropshire, U.K.

After agreeing on dates and duration of the exchange we agreed to meet in London and swap various keys and information. Long story short, it was an extremely successful venture for her and us. Jean and I have been back to England three times since on other exchanges and we have seen Miriam on each occasion. She has become a long-distance friend.

In 1998 Jean and I exchanged with a retired family physician and his wife in Sheffield, England and that exchange has resulted in a very close relationship, above and beyond mere exchanging. It is too lengthy a tale to relate but suffice to say that we see them every year - somewhere. In June 2002 it will be in our home in Prescott.

In all, Jean and I have done 9 exchanges, sometimes two a year, and all except one has been an absolute pleasure. The one exception was a retired English couple living in Malaga, Spain. The main problem being the difference in our housekeeping styles. Other than that one minor instance I do not hesitate to talk about home exchanges whenever the subject comes up.

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RESOURCE BOXThis article has been generously contributed by Jack Ehlers, a member of Digsville since November 2001.Visit Digsville TodayYour Home - for FREE Accommodations.

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